The proposal for 237 housing units marks San Jose's first 100% affordable, mixed-income development on church property since the City Council adopted a “Yes in God’s Backyard” strategy.

The state says it has reserves to weather a tough year but a recession could deepen the deficit in years ahead.

Despite passionate and eloquent pleas from the City Hall audience, the Dec. 5 San Jose City Council decision wasn’t about taxpayers’ money, or voters’ rights. Cash, political power and private conversations not streamed on Zoom won the night.

The vacancies were created by the November election, when District 8 Councilmember Sylvia Arenas was elected as the District 1 representative on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and District 10 Councilmember Matt Mahan was elected mayor.

Nearly one-third of lawmakers — at least 37 of 120 — will be new to Sacramento, paving the way for new political dynamics and new legislative priorities.

The VTA board authorized the purchase of a high-tech tunnel boring machine for a massive underground train line under downtown from Berryessa to Diridon Station.

The Silicon Valley Guaranteed Income Project will give 150 Santa Clara County families who are experiencing homelessness or unstable housing $1,000 per month in no-strings-attached cash assistance for 24 months.

The new law makes California the first state that will automatically seal most criminal records for those who complete their sentences.

The governor threw communities into disarray two weeks ago by withholding $1 billion in homelessness funding for plans he saw as unambitious. Local officials said this discouraged ambitious programs. Now Newsom is yielding.

Mahan said he appreciated Chavez' 'most gracious concession in the true spirit of our robust democracy,' and congratulated her on a strong campaign.

Matt Mahan today widened his lead over Cindy Chavez with an estimated 90% of mayoral ballots counted. In order to win, Chavez would need to get more than 60% of the remaining ballots. Her vote totals haven’t come close to that percentage in the eight days of counting since Election Day.

Chavez would have to increase her winning percentage of the approximately 57,000 uncounted ballots to 55%, in order to wipe out Mahan's lead.

San Jose, a million-person city in which a fifth of its residents choose the mayor, has a history of close elections. Only three of the past seven open elections could be called lopsided victories. The last time an open seat was decided in one round was 40 years ago, in 1982—the year 39-year-old Matt Mahan was born.

If you are not sure if you are registered to vote, you can check your status at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.  

Smith, who announced her retirement on Monday while the jury was deliberating, faced the charges in a civil trial that had been filed by a Santa County Civil Grand Jury in December. Sentencing in such a case could normally result in her removal from office, but the sheriff's surprise resignation two months before the end of her sixth term makes that punishment moot.

Housing officials report that the number of new housing units completed and occupied under Measure A is not quite 25% of the bond's goal of 4,800 new affordable housing units set in 2016.